Before understanding Membrane technology, you should be aware of it’s basic elements like Membranes and underlying process! Membrane technology is a process that uses thin, special materials called membranes to separate or filter different substances based on their size or charge.
What is Membrane? Think of a membrane like a super-thin filter that lets some things like substances or materials pass through it while filtering or blocking others. This is basically, how they works. Allow some substances and blocking other substances or materials. Membrane technology using membranes, is used in many important fields and processes like water purification process, gas separation process and now for green hydrogen production.
Right now, most companies are producing green hydrogen by using a specific type of membrane called “Perfluorinated Sulfonic Acid Polymer Membrane“. This membrane is effective but is very costly and it’s use makes the production of green hydrogen even costlier.
But, now with development of new and advanced membrane technology, this process becomes more efficient and reduces energy waste. Using this advance membrane technology, green hydrogen production can become cheaper and more sustainable.
In this article, we will understand “What is Membrane technology” and explore how membrane technology works, with its advantages, and how it could revolutionize the green energy industry by reducing the cost of green hydrogen production. Let’s start with understanding, What Membrane Technology actually is and what is green hydrogen?
Table Of Contents
What is Membrane Technology?
As discussed, Membrane Technology is a process that uses membrane to separate molecules, substances or elements based on their size, charge and chemical properties. This process uses thin, specialized materials called membranes which act as a filter to only pass through certain substances, while blocking others.
Now, with the context of current study of green hydrogen production, membranes play a key role in separating hydrogen and oxygen from water and other gases such as carbon dioxide, during the electrolysis process. This process is also called Gas Separation process.
Currently, most gas separation processes and chambers uses expensive materials, such as polymers membranes and ceramics membranes. These gas separation membranes require complex and energy-intensive manufacturing processes, which makes gas separation process costlier. To reduce this cost, other membranes are also being explored such as carbon-based membranes and zeolite membranes but not reached a conclusion yet.
However, with the advancement in new membrane technology, which is based on cheaper materials, such as Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) and metallic membranes are developed recently and showing good results.
These new innovative membranes could help in significantly reducing costs and improving production efficiency in green hydrogen production, making them more cost effective, sustainable and accessible energy source.
Need of New Membrane Technology
New membrane technology using newer developed membranes can help in reducing the pollution levels and make environment cleaner. How new membranes could help in this cause? Let’s find out.
To achieve this, Green Hydrogen has been identified as an essential resource. Green hydrogen is a promising source of energy and definitely help in achieving that by replacing traditional fossil fuels in various applications, devices and processes. It can be used in transportation, heating, and industrial processes like fuel or gas separation processes, with another important ones. But, the high cost associated with green hydrogen production has been a major challenge from many years since its inception.
In green hydrogen production, membranes play a key role in separating hydrogen and oxygen from water during the electrolysis process. In this process, membranes split water molecules (H₂O) into their basic parts—hydrogen (H₂) and oxygen (O₂).
These membranes ensures that the hydrogen and oxygen gases do not mix, which helps in maintaining purity and safety. Which, eventually provides cleaner hydrogen and oxygen. Pure hydrogen is then collected and stored for various applications.
Right now, the companies involved in green hydrogen production, use ‘Perfluorinated Sulfonic Acid Polymer Membrane’ which is available in the market with the name ‘Nafion‘. It is produced by the brand “DuPont”, which is an America (USA) based multinational chemical company.
Perfluorinated Sulfonic Acid Polymer Membrane or Nafion is made from a polymer and is used as a Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) in fuel cells.
This membrane is well known for it’s effectiveness at conducting ions (charged particles), while keeping gases like hydrogen and oxygen separated effectively. But, the disadvantage of using this membrane is it’s cost. It comes very costly, which makes the production of green hydrogen costlier. Right now, many green hydrogen producers use it for their systems and processes.
What is Green Hydrogen?
Green hydrogen is a fuel, which is considered “Green” or “Clean” as it makes less pollution. It is considered green because it is produced through zero or no carbon process and by using renewable energy sources like solar, water or wind.
Recent Development in New Membrane Technology
So, there has been a need of developing new membrane technology with new membranes to reduce the cost of green hydrogen production. With the recent development of new membrane technology, it seems possible!
Recent research has demonstrated the potential of using Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) to create cost-effective gas separation membranes. MOFs are advanced materials composed of metal ions connected by organic molecules, which forms a highly porous structure.
MOFs have unique properties, such as high surface area, adjustable pore sizes, and chemical stability, which makes them ideal for gas separation applications in a cost effective way.
This makes it a feasible solution in green hydrogen production. MOFs can effectively separate hydrogen from other gases like carbon dioxide or nitrogen, ensuring higher purity hydrogen at a lower cost. Additionally, MOFs can be synthesized using simpler and more affordable methods, such as solvothermal synthesis, which involves mixing metal salts and organic compounds in a solvent under controlled conditions.
Recent Research and Developments
- One of the most promising developments towards this step comes from the Bhavnagar-based Central Salt and Marine Chemicals Research Institute (CSMCRI) in Gujarat, India. They have developed a groundbreaking new membrane technology which significantly lowers the cost of green hydrogen production.
CSMCRI has secured an international patent for this new membrane. This membrane gives cost-effective results by utilizing innovative materials, that improve efficiency and reduce costs for manufacturing green hydrogen. This technology has already been transferred to companies: “GFCL Solar and Green Hydrogen Products Ltd” in Gujarat, to use it further for commercial production of Green Hydrogen.
- On a global scale, Honeywell also announced on March 2, 2023, their development of Catalyst-Coated Membrane (CCM) Technology. This technology is specifically designed for green hydrogen production.
This technology uses advanced membrane that integrates catalysts directly into the structure, which helps in improving efficiency and reducing energy requirements during the electrolysis process. Eventually, reducing the cost to produce green hydrogen.
Honeywell is planning to test the technology further with electrolyzer manufacturers, to accelerate this membrane adoption. Which can pave our way to adopting green hydrogen.
- CSMCRI and Honeywell are the latest in developing new membrane technologies with new membranes, such as CCMs and others which can help further in reducing the cost of green hydrogen production.
Several other research groups and companies around the world have demonstrated the potential of MOFs as gas separation membranes for producing green hydrogen as a greener fuel, within effective costs. Some of these research groups are:
- A team of researchers from the University of Manchester and the University of Cambridge has also developed a MOF membrane that can selectively separate hydrogen from carbon dioxide and other elements with high efficiency, stability and lesser cost. This membrane is made up of a MOF called ZIF-8 (Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework-8) and was produced using a simple and scalable synthesis method.
ZIF-8 framework is well-known for its excellent gas separation properties due to its high stability, tunable pore size, and ease of synthesis. ZIF-8 membranes are easily produced and synthesized through straightforward and cost-effective processes like solvothermal or microwave-assisted methods.
- Another research group from the University of Texas at Austin has developed a MOF membrane that can separate hydrogen from nitrogen and methane with high selectivity and permeance. This membrane is made up of a MOF (Metal Organic Framework) called ZIF-94, which is produced using an easy, facile and scalable electrochemical synthesis method.
According to the sources, this new membrane technology would help in reducing the cost of production by almost half. This further allows the use and acceptance of the green hydrogen fuel more generally, publicly and globally. Eventually, this would help in reducing the cost of transportation, industrial processes and making our planet more greener.
Further research is being conducted on this membrane, to test it’s ability to further reduce green hydrogen production costs. Although, more and specific updates are yet to come!
Benefits of New Membrane Technology
The recent developments in new membrane technology based on CCMs and MOFs frameworks and new membranes has the potential to significantly reduce the cost of green hydrogen production. This will enable us a whole in adopting more efficient and cost-effective gas separation process.
By using new membrane technology, new gas separation membranes can be produced using less power, energy and at a lower cost. Which could make green hydrogen fuel production easier, effective and more economically viable.
This could contribute to a greener and cleaner world by promoting the adoption of green hydrogen more aggressively.
Conclusion:
The development of new membrane technologies based on MOFs and CCMs are a promising avenue for reducing the cost of green hydrogen production. While further research is needed to optimize the synthesis and measuring the performance of MOF and CCM membranes. The potential underlying benefits of this new technologies are looking promising.
With the growing demand for lesser polluting fuels and more sustainable energy solutions, the development of new membrane technology could play a significant role in advancing the widespread adoption of green hydrogen around the globe. Which is a more greener fuel.
Prabhat Kumar is a Senior Editor at DataBonker, specializing in Education, Career, Admissions, and Technology. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for delivering insightful content, he curates well-researched articles that help readers navigate their academic and professional journeys. From career advice to the latest trends in education and emerging technologies, Prabhat ensures every piece is informative, engaging, and valuable.
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